A conventional steering switch is based on a push operation, and is commonly operated by moving a finger to a button position and pushing in. Lately there has appeared a steering switch of a type in which a touch sensor is installed in a spoke unit of a handle, and direct sensory input is possible by swiping or performing another gesture on the sensor surface.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-298285 discloses technology related to an input device that allows input of a large amount of information while an operator grips the steering wheel of a vehicle. In this technology, an input operation is selected on the basis of a combination of gestures detected from a plurality of touch pads disposed on the steering wheel, and a car navigation device can be controlled on the basis of the selected operation. For example, an image displayed on a display unit is enlarged or reduced by performing gestures at the same time and in the same direction on the touch pad.
In the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-298285, because an input operation is selected by a combination of gestures detected from two touch pads (touch sensors), the operator can input many kinds of information while gripping the steering wheel of the vehicle. However, the driver, being the operator, must simultaneously operate a right touch sensor with the right thumb and a left touch sensor with the left thumb while gripping the steering wheel, and accordingly the operation is a nuisance. Also, depending on the application, input using a push switch rather than a touch sensor may be effective, and accordingly there has been a desire for an input device having favorable usability.